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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25525036">a winner's game</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/'>Anonymous</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, Gambling, Post-Crimson Flower</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 07:35:55</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>706</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25525036</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Dorothea and Byleth are none too subtle when it comes to their affection for each other. Still, they’ve yet to reveal their relationship to the rest of their friends. </p><p>The Black Eagles start betting to see when they’ll actually make it official.</p><p>-</p><p>Written for #ByletheaWeek2020. Day 1 Prompt: Happy Anniversary / Class Reunion.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dorothea Arnault/My Unit | Byleth</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Anonymous</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>a winner's game</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It’s a year after the defeat of the Immaculate One. Since then, the members of the Black Eagle Strike Force have been scattered across Fodlan, rebuilding villages ravaged by war, forming treaties and policies to reform the continent’s corrupt institutions, gathering intel on Those Who Slithered in the Dark, and a myriad of other duties that would make anyone’s head spin.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But despite how busy they all were, they had made it a point to come back to Enbarr to celebrate the War’s End Anniversary with each other—even Petra, who had newly ascended to the Brigidian throne.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Of all the things Edelgard had expected to happen when they all got together, </span>
  <em>
    <span>this</span>
  </em>
  <span> wasn’t something she had in mind.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She approaches the two men huddled by the corner of the parlor, the room where they’d be having a simple lunch. A few moments ago, she’d seen one of them pass the other what looked to be a hefty coin purse, and the receiver jot a few lines down with the quill and parchment he’d been holding. She wouldn’t have looked further into it normally, but the coin-giver was Hubert, and the receiver Linhardt. She finds herself curious to know what her retainer could possibly owe the researcher.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is this some black market deal I shouldn’t have walked into?” Edelgard says, stepping  in between the two mages. She’d meant it as a joke, but Hubert startles in a way that’s quite uncharacteristic of him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, Lady Edelgard, I—” he starts.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“In a manner of speaking,” Linhardt says, drowning out Hubert with his nonchalance. Edelgard raises a brow at his answer, and it goes higher up as he continues. “I’ve set up a small betting pool. I don’t remember how this current regime of the Empire looks upon gambling, so if it’s in any way illegal, forget that I’ve said anything. Otherwise, feel free to join in.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Emperor gives Hubert a pointed look, to which the man replies with a grimace, like he doesn’t like that he’s been caught. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She turns her attention back to Linhardt and says, “Well, we’ve yet to discuss this issue due to the long list of more important reforms we’d like to enact, but personally I don’t mind a small game for fun. What are we betting on?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She peeps at the parchment in the researcher’s hands, and is only mildly surprised to see a list of names, most belonging to members of the Black Eagles Strike Force. On a column adjacent to the names are numbers which she assumes are the number of coins each person has gambled with, and in the last column are, curiously, are a list of dates.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re trying to see who’s closest at guessing when Dorothea and Byleth are going to make themselves official.” Linhardt points at his own name on the parchment. “A lot of our allies are betting that they’ll announce their relationship by the end of the day, but based on the lack of PDA between them when they visited me last month, I’d give them a few more weeks, somewhere around the first week of the Garland Moon.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” Edelgard says. She opens her mouth to say something, then makes a face, as if thinking better of it. Instead, she asks, “All bets are final, I believe? One can’t retroactively change their wagered dates?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Linhardt nods in response. “Yes. And before you ask, </span>
  <em>
    <span>official </span>
  </em>
  <span>means having revealed their relationship to at least three people. Also, there is no deadline to voting, except for when I myself have dissolved the betting pool, which will only happen when they have publicly revealed their relationships.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can’t believe you were betting on our friends’ love lives,” Edelgard says, shooting her retainer a smug grin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Enough, your majesty, I’m disappointed with myself enough as it is.” With a grumble, he adds, “It was a challenge I couldn’t resist. Their affairs have eluded me, even with my spy network.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Edelgard almost laughs at his reply, but she stifles it for Hubert’s sake. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Would you like to participate, Edelgard?” Linhardt asks.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She definitely does. But she’d seen a couple of names missing from the researcher’s list. She’ll wait until they’ve made their bets.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll think about it, Lin.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Studying for the Boards, so I've barely had any time to write fic, much as I want to. Still, didn't want to let #ByletheaWeek2020 pass by without writing something for one of my favorite (and most underrated!) pairings! Hopefully I'll have enough time to write the second chapter :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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